KATUP BUKU PASAI CHIN PENG, BIAQ PI KAT DIA...

Nama Chin Peng mungkin asing bagi generasi muda sekarang akan tetapi itulah nama yang mampu menimbulkan kegerunan seketika dahulu.

Chin Peng sinonim dengan komunis. Sementara komunis pula sinonim dengan kesengsaraan. Kebimbangan dan ketakutan terhadap ancaman komunis hanya berakhir selepas perjanjian damai di Hatyai, Thailand pada 2 Disember 1989.

Selepas perjanjian damai antara Kerajaan Malaysia dan Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) itu, nama Chin Peng sudah jarang-jarang disebut.

Dia juga gagal dalam cubaan untuk kembali ke Malaysia. Mahkamah Persekutuan pada 30 April lalu menolak permohonannya kerana gagal mengemukakan surat beranak untuk membuktikan dia warganegara in.

Ramai yang berpendapat isu Chin Peng tidak seharusnya diberi perhatian. Lelaki yang kini berusia 85 tahun itu telah banyak membawa kesengsaraan kepada rakyat negara ini. Ramai yang masih menderita sehingga kini akibat onar pihak komunis. Ramai yang mahu melupakan terus Chin Peng dari fikiran.

Namun pada masa yang sama, masih ada pihak yang seolah-olah cuba mengangkat lelaki ini sebagai 'wira'. Mereka mengaitkan isu membawa kembali Chin Peng ke sini sebagai usaha kemanusiaan.

Mungkin sudah tiba masanya untuk semua pihak menghormati keputusan kerajaan dan apa yang diputuskan oleh mahkamah sebelum ini. Sudah termaktub bahawa Chin Peng tidak dibenarkan kembali ke negara ini.

Walau atas dasar apa sekali pun, termasuklah dia sudah terlalu tua, keputusan itu wajar dihormati oleh semua pihak. Pada masa yang sama, usahlah ada pihak yang mahu tampil menjadi juara untuk memperjuangkan nasib Chin Peng.

Hormati dan insafilah nasib sebahagian daripada kita yang pernah menjadi mangsa kekejaman komunis sewaktu era darurat dahulu. Selidik kembali sejarah. Insafi kekejaman yang telah dicetuskan oleh komunis pimpinan Chin Peng sebelum perjanjian damai tersebut.

Selami apa yang dilalui oleh anggota keselamatan kita sewaktu menentang komunis dahulu. Hayati penderitaan yang ditanggung oleh ahli keluarga mereka.

Ramai di kalangan mangsa kekejaman komunis masih hidup sehingga kini. Hanya mereka yang tahu bagaimana peritnya menghadapi komunis. Kita boleh berkata apa sahaja. Namun bahu yang memikul pasti akan merasai keperitan sebenar.

Mungkin tindakan terbaik untuk menunjukkan rasa hormat dan simpati kepada mereka yang pernah menjadi mangsa komunis ialah dengan berhenti melayan polemik mengenai Chin Peng. Tutup buku mengenainya.

Banyak lagi perkara murni yang boleh diperjuangkan atas dasar kemanusiaan. Ketepikan sahaja Chin Peng. -- Utusan Malaysia


Posting ini dipetik dan disunting daripada artikel asal yang disiarkan di ruangan rencana oleh Utusan Malaysia pada 24 November 2009.

Nota: Ayahanda saya Arwah Kolonel Mohd Ali Rejab yang berpengalaman bertempur dengan gerombolan PKM semasa operasi di Gubir, Kedah pernah menceritakan kepada saya bahawa “tidak ada sesuatu yang baik mengenai komunis”.

Saya bersetuju dan berpendapat “membincangkan mengenainya membuang masa, malahan memikirkan mengenainya sekalipun adalah kerja sia-sia”.Semasa bertugas di Kangar sebagai Pewarta Bernama Negeri Perlis saya ditugaskan membuat liputan Perjanjian Damai Hatyai bersama-sama dengan Ketua Pengarang Bernama Abdul Rahman Sulaiman (sekarang Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, Ketua Pasukan Komunikasi, Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Negara, Jabatan Perdana Menteri) dan Pengarang Berita Azman Ujang (kini Datuk Azman Ujang, mantan Ketua Pengarang dan Pengurus Besar Bernama).

AGROPOLITAN THE MEGA LIFT FOR THE HAVES-NOT...

Ten-year old Hazim Rahman was an excited boy.

His excitement was not so much because he skipped school today but the lad was grinning from ear to ear all morning in his best clothes since he and his family was upbeat on the prospect of meeting an Orang Besar later in the day.

The orang besar he was referring to was Mohd Shafie Apdal, Minister of Rural and Regional Development who was scheduled to make his first visit to Agropolitan Project in Gahai, better known as Agropolitan Gahai or simply Gahai located some 20 km away from Kuala Lipis in the interior of Pahang.

Shafie visited Gahai being the second such project implemented by the ministry since last year. The first was at Pulau Banggi, named Agropolitan Pulau Banggi located off Kudat, Sabah in 2008.

Hazim’s father was among the 80 hardcore head of families (ketua isi rumah or KIR) of Agropolitan Gahai relocated from their original kampongs into a more organized daily living by the Rubber Institute of SmallHolders Development Authority (RISDA) which is an agency under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.

The selected head of families moved into Gahai a year ago when the project opened its gates to participants with the primary objective of elevating hardcore poverty among the rural folks in deep the interiors of Malaysia, especially those believed to have been marginalized by development.

Since then Gahai has been among the buzzwords in meeting rooms and discussions at the ministry, towards certain extent in the state of the project. From hardcore poverty the ministry hopes to reduce the statistics gradually, meaning that efforts are in place to eliminate hardcore poor to being poor and eventually set them free from the shackles of the haves-not.

Since the corresponding period last year, of the 80 heads of family 50 of the Gahai folks have been making a steady and decent living, like having fixed salaries of around RM 350 and RM 700 monthly from their daily chores in the rubber estates, pineapple plantations, as tailors, van drivers and kindergarten handlers.

About 40 percent of them were enjoying income of more than RM 700 a month, taking them on the right track to a better tomorrow as promised by the government in general and the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development specifically.

This self-help community formed a committee among themselves to meet and discuss problems and handle progress, bounces ideas on how to elevate their social well-being by venturing into other economic activities while waiting for the right time to tap rubber trees in the year 2011 and to harvest pineapple late this year.

The 50 head of families were the inhabitants of the Program Bantuan Rumah (PBR) or Housing Aid Programme while the remaining 30 of them were shareholders of the scheme being old and no longer able to be active in economic activities.

These are the primary roles of the ministry at best – provide houses, build roads, light up their homes with electricity and supply clean water into their lives some through projects like agropolitan while the ministry was also entrenched into other projects to increase the income of the rural folks.

Among the projects is the Program Peningkatan Pendapatan, Program Latihan Kemahiran dan Kerjaya (Skills and Career Enhancement Programme) and Program Pembangunan Modal Insan or the Human Capital Development programmes.

Due to the various programmes implemented by the ministries on a 365/24-7 work culture and regime, the senior officers and officers of the ministry have been consumed with tones of work around the clock and committed to deliver the best for the rural folks.

Ten years ago these projects were pipe dreams to the haves-not while half a century ago the ministry sets out to combat poverty with a commitment to strive and help the almost forgotten community in our country.

Now they have a hope for a promised future and no longer darting from hand to mouth and eking out a living from unproductive practices of over the years. Things have never been the same for the officers as well as their subjects.

The bottom line of this agropolitan project was to enable the participants of Gahai to obtain income of around RM 1,050 and RM 1,200 to finally break free from abject poverty in the year 2011. The mission is already on track towards this objective.

The RM 8.5 million agropolitan was officiated by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on July 31 last year after a series of development of the components of the project -- water supply, electricity, roads and other amenities in 2007, covering an area of about 223 hectare.

In a nutshell, an agropolitan project was meant to be an agriculture township which was developed through the various agricultural activities and agricultural-related businesses.

Two objectives -- to eradicate hardcore poverty through economic upliftment and elevating them from the poverty line as well as fast-tracking the development in the rural, remote and the neglected are the pillars of the agropolitan project.

Agropolitan is a project under the Program Lonjakan Mega Luar Bandar (PLMLB) or Rural Mega Uplifting Project, one of the attributes of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.

To date the ministry has been developing several agropolitan projects, namely – Chemomoi in Pahang, Kampung Gana in Sabah, Batang Sadong and Batang Lupar in Sarawak and has identified new sites for such project, among them in Sedili, Johor and Kedaya Telang Usan in Sarawak.

Hazim finally met with Shafie at the end of the minister’s visit, right in his house when the “Orang Besar” came a calling while touring the vast project to see for himself the real progress taking shape in this part of the country.

The not-so-shy lad managed a “terima kasih” to the minister, again grining from ear to ear in his best clothes which were already partly sprinkled with sweat of having to queue with the rest of his contemporaries in the dewan nearby to meet with the “Orang Besar”.

Hazim smiled, saying softly that “satu hari nanti saya nak jadi orang besar macam dia”, pointing to Dato’ Shafie who was smiling in a hearing distance.


* This posting was part of the article written by Dato' Abd. Jabar Che Nai, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Putrajaya and appeared in The Star newspaper on Oct 3, 2009, N32

1MALAYSIA BEGINS FROM 1REGION...

Yes, thats a new campaign which I hope could help educate my audience, the internal audience on the downstream of the 1Malaysia concept.

As far as this particular ministry is concerned, I like to put in a small piece (as my contribution) into the big picture -- that 1Malaysia Begins From 1Region. After all, we are Ministry of Rural and Regional Development...

Hence, We are 1 Region, 1Malaysia...1Malaysia Begins From 1Region...

SELAMAT ULANGTAHUN KE-51...

Selamat Hari Lahir Kak Intan...

Hari ini adalah Hari Ulangtahun ke-51 kekanda saya, Halijah atau lebih kami kenali beliau sebagai Kak Intan.

Hari ini juga adalah Hari Ulangtahun Ke-51 Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia atau TUDM.

Umur kekanda saya dengan TUDM adalah sama kerana kelahiran pada tarikh yang sama. Kebetulan beliau pernah berkhidmat dengan TUDM dan jawatan terakhir beliau ialah Sarjan di Pangkalan Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia Ipoh, Perak.

Tahun lepas semasa TUDM merayakan Perayaan Jubli Emasnya, Kak Intan saya (yang juga menyambut ulangtahun ke-50 nya) tidak dijemput untuk menjadi sebahagian daripada sambutan berkenaan, malahan surat penghargaan (atau nota pengiktirafan) pun tiada.

Boleh dimaafkan sekiranya Markas TUDM di Kuala Lumpur tidak menyedari kepentingan atau signifikan ini namun ia adalah kesilapan atau kealpaan yang agak ketara di pihak Pangkalan Tentera Udara DiRaja Ipoh, tempat terakhir beliau bertugas.

Mungkin mereka terlupa bahawa dalam ramai warga yang berkhidmat dan pernah berkhidmat dengan TUDM hanya seorang sahaja yang menyambut hari kelahirannya pada tarikh yang sama dengan kelahiran pasukan, ataupun dalam ramai yang pernah menjadi warga kerjanya, hanya tarikh lahir seorang sahaja yang begitu signifikan dengan kelahiran pasukan.

Tidak mungkin ada lagi warga kerja TUDM yang pernah atau sedang berkhidmat ketika ini yang mempunyai persamaan yang ketara ini. Namun mungkin ianya tidak signifikan kepada TUDM. Bagaimanapun bagi Puan Halijah dan kepada kami semua ia amat penting dan signifikan.

Disamping itu beliau juga adalah puteri sulung Kolonel (U) Mohd Ali Haji Rejab, seorang pegawai kanan TUDM yang pernah memberi khidmat terbaik dan menabur bakti kepada pasukan sehingga hari terakhir perkhidmatannya.

Selamat Hari Lahir Kak Intan...kami semua, Rohana, Zahir, Zaim, Zafir, Henny dan saya amat menyayangi mu, sentiasa!! Semoga KekandaKu dipanjangkan umur dan dipelihara ALLAH SWBT setiap masa...InsyALLAH...

FADASON, PARLO ITALIANO??

FADASON...if you must ask, what's that all about?

Sounds very Italian, no?

But heck no, it is not an Italian outfit but simply a Malaysian company, in fact one of the fastest growing developers in Kuala Lumpur despite the glooming economic outlook enveloping the country.

This company has been doing well with several projects here there and is on its way up the apex of developers in the Klang Valley and this outfit outshines the others in meritrocracy.

By looking at the name I would instantly knew that it derives from a combination of names of a father and son (or sons because there are quite a number of brothers in the family). This is a well-known family in politics because they de-hemogenise their presence in a single constituency but spread out their footings in Kedah, Penang and Wilayah Persekutuan.

Latest the youngest politician in the family was appointed to Majlis Tertinggi Umno, a political resurrection of sort for the 40 something man who was quite promising at one time but faced an almost political dead-end in Kedah when he was just made an ordinary state assemblyman.

However, he lost a parliamentary seat he contested in the last general election. But then again, who did not? Most Umno candidates including the good ones drowned in the 2008 tsunami.

Now prime minister Najib T. Razak acknowledges his political acumen and bestowed greatness in him once again.

He is part of FADASON, in fact he is the dynamics behind the name.

If you drive along Jalan Kepong you will not miss the name, proudly displayed on several signboards.

FADASON, agustie italiano?...scuze paisan!!

CLEAR, PRECISE AND PRACTICAL...

After much walkabouts and talkabout, Shabery spells it out...

The setting need not be a formal and protocol-concious atmosphere for Ahmad Shabery Cheek to announce a new navigation for Sports in his second week as the new Youth and Sports Minister.

What's important that his message for Sports to be taken seriously was clear and precise and if the audience had not paid any attention to his speech at a special gathering of the KBS Family on Tuesday it was to their peril.

Shabery pointed out that it will be his tour of duty to strife for Malaysians to adopt a sporting culture, with sports as the primary concern. Sports trancends all tangible and intangible barriers and it is only apt for the ministry to expect a little tweak here and there as per the presence of the new captain to drive home the message.

"Sports is life, sports is everything and sports rises above everything. For example two hard fought boxers could be merciless and mean in the ring but once the fight is over the fighters will throw around a hug in the true sporting spirit," he told KBS (Kementerian Belia dan Sukan) staffs who filled to the brim the multipurpose hall in the adjoining building which houses the Department of Civil Aviation.

Later in the evening, the minister reiterated his message to a specific audience at the National Sports Council, saying that while Malaysians should adopt a sporting culture, sportsmen and sportswomen must also be in for the medal.

He was meeting with national sportsmen and sportswomen who were on training sessions at the sports center in Bukit Jalil during his tour to the council.

"There is no two way about it," he said, singling out the quest for medal vis-a-vis sporting excellence is another process of strengthening patriotism and nationalism. It was also the reflection of our resilient.

That Malaysians greatness in sports must be translated in the collection of medal is as good as the non-compromising stand of the ministry. Among those in the crowd listening to his short speech were Lee Chong Wei, the almost All-England champion and Beijing Olympics gold medallist, bowling champion Shalin Zulkifli, former All-England doubles champion Jailani Sidek and NSC boss Zolkples Embong.

The golfer and bowler Shabery completed his policy outline with the third point of making sports an industry, meaning that sports is to be taken seriously from now on.

"Sports should no longer be seen as the alternative for those who do not excell in academic but sports to be taken seriously as a career. In short, sports is not for the rejects," Shabery said to the shouts of Malaysia Boleh by his audience.

Then the tree-point policy has been laid out clearly and precisely and for a practical reason that sports is now a serious business in as far as the ministry is concerned.

We now await the minister's navigation on youth, the other focus of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

SYABAS AHMAD SHABERY CHEEK...

My sincere congratulation to Ahmad Shabery Cheek on his appointment as Youth and Sports Minister in Najib Tun Razak's Cabinet announced last week.

He is taking over Menara KBS once helmed by Ismail Sabri Yaakob (their identities were always confused. Ismail Sabri, 50, is the Bera MP in Pahang while Shabery, 51, is Kemaman MP in Terengganu) who had put in motion several initiatives including the Road to London which I found it to be very inspiring.

This is the ministry which produced 2 prime ministers -- Tuanku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and Najib Tun Razak and 3 Deputy Prime Ministers -- Anwar Ibrahim, Najib and Muhyiddin Yassin. There were many colorful individuals who walked the corridors of power here at Menara KBS and I am sure you know their names.

Therefore this is NOT a junior ministry as people had always made it out to be.

It cannot be an insignificant ministry for it speaks to the bigger slice of the population -- youth who are rapidly numbering up as the majority of voters in the next general election or PRU-13. It was told that as many as 70 percent of the voters in the next general election will be our youth.

On the other hand, the ministry handles sports -- the single most important unifying factor of our country Malaysia. Yes, sports is the universal bond which unites the people from all races, creed, religion, strata, background etc.

So its gonna be a heavy responsibility for Ahmaad Shabery who is a scholar. His deputies are Wee Jeck Seng and Razali Ibrahim, both MPs are from Johor.

Shabery will be assisted by Yassin Salleh, the benign and most abled Secretary-General (the nicest KSU I have ever met) who is in turn being assisted by his two deputies -- Borhan "Bob" Dollah (management) and Mohid who is in charge of operation.

Welcome onboard Youth & Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery...I shall be of help to you...

OF UMNO GODFATHER, BAD LOSERS AND RESIGNATION...

He walks into a grand entrance and a thunderous reception.

Very apt for the Godfather of Umno. Afterall, this is his Umno, his party and his everything.

"Wow!, what a return", somebody quipped while watching the drama unfolding at Dewan Merdeka PWTC, the very same hall he had announced "dah lama dah!" in 2003 to the unprepared crowd while winding up the debate at another assembly.

In the same breath and sentence Grand Old Masta Tun Dr Mohamad told the delegates that he is quiting after more than 20 years at the top.

This time he is staying for good, after having kept his word that he will only re-join the party once "that guy" is done with. And Abdullah Haji Ahmad is already a history.

Welcome Home Sir!


There are losers -- good losers and bad losers.

Bad losers reflect their inner self for they do not practise what they preach.

Good losers are like Mukhriz Mahathir while the opposite is embodied in an Old Lady (a grandmother actually) who was heading a movement in Umno.

There are bad losers and bad losers, and this is the latter!

Perhaps she could not take it that her tenure ends with a resounding defeat and one that she was not prepared for. But whatever it was, she should have shown her political maturity as a party elder and to show support to the victor.

When she was at the top her usual clarion call was for the Wanita Umno members to close ranks after a contest. Perhaps this time her inner self got the better of her, thus staying away from the assembly for good.


Shahrir Samad, like or hate him but this man is principled, period.

He had announced to resign the Cabinet next week. This is examplary and should be emulated by the others, especially the losers in the keenly contested party election for the Majlis Tertinggi Umno.

What about the others? Today Azalina Othman Said said she will not resign her ministership and leaving it to in-coming prime minister Najib Tun Razak to decide.

By right ALL members of the Cabinet regardless from Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan as well as those from Sabah and Sarawak should resign to make way for the new Cabinet.

If I am not mistaken Dr Rais Yatim, able minister and an an expert on constitutional law said the entire Cabinet is disbanded once the prime minister resigns his chair for he was the one who had nominated to the Yang DiPertuan Agong the formation of the Cabinet or Jemaah Menteri vis-a-vis the consent and appointments.

The Abdullah Cabinet should resign to help Najib prepares for his. The new chief should not be burdened with old political baggages among the members of the Cabinet and they should do the right thing.

In the step taken by Shahrir, the losers (quite a number of them!) should also announced their resignations as soon as possible.

Resigning now is politically and morally correct thing to do.

UMNO DECIDES...

At this point of time, there aren't much to say anymore. My hope is that Umno delegates will wise up and put the party above self...

Malaysia awaits Umno delegates and we are holding our breath.

To the Umno delegates, you know what to do...ingatlah Agama, Bangsa dan Tanahair!

IF I AM AN UMNO DELEGATE...

If I am an Umno delegate and knowing that all eyes of the nation are on the party polls next week, then I shall do what is the best for the party, country and for all and sundry.

I shall give my vote to Muhyiddin Yassin as the Deputy President.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Shafie Apdal and Dr Rais Yatim shall be my chosen Vice-Presidents.

And I shall vote for Mukhriz Mahathir as the Umno Youth Head while his deputy should be Razali Ibrahim, Muar Member of Parliament.

Shahrizat Abdul Jalil shall be my choice for the Wanita Umno Head while her deputy Kamilia Ibrahim has already won the post uncontested.

As for the 25 Supreme Council members, I shall seek to balance important forum among the experienced and the young leaders whom had offered themselves to be considered.

Among the young leaders I shall vote for two former youth leaders -- Shaifuddin Abdullah (Pahang) and Idris Harun (Melaka) who were among most promising new faces in the post-Mac 8 general election.

But then again I am not a delegate but hoping them to do what is best for the party and the country, also for all and sundry.

JANGANLAH DOLAK DALIK LAGI...

Ketua Menteri Melaka Mohd Ali Rustam wajar meletakkan jawatannya kerana didapati bersalah melanggar etika parti oleh Lembaga Disiplin Umno, menurut mantan perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Saya amat bersetuju dengan pendapat beliau dan ingin menambah bahawa selagi Ali menyandang jawatan itu, ahli Umno, rakyat dan parti pembangkang tidak akan memandang serius usaha Umno membersihkan parti daripada unsur-unsur politik wang, pesalah politik dan politik sumbang.

Tidak perlu berdolak-dalik dalam hal ini kerana Umno adalah punca segala kebangkitan seseorang itu dalam hiraki kepimpinan kerajaan dan oleh kerana parti mendapatinya bersalah maka jalan yang paling mulia untuk memelihara decorum parti ialah dengan meletak jawatan dan berehat sementara.

Pentingkan parti dan bukan diri...

Ali bukanlah yang pertama yang akan berbuat demikian kerana sebelum ini Osman Aroff, Rahim Thamby Chik, Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Abu Hassan Omar, Syed Razak Syed Zain, Sanusi Junid dan Mohd Isa Samad pernah mengosongkan kerusi mereka dek kesalahan dan masalah yang pelbagai. Ali juga bukan yang terakhir kerana selepas ini akan adalagi mereka yang bersalah dan perlu mendahulukan kepentingan parti daripada diri.

Bukankah sebelum ini Ali adalah antara yang paling lantang menyuruh Elizabeth Wong meletak jawatan ekoran peristiwa "terselak kain"?

KHAIRY, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING...

Umno Youth Chief candidate Khairy Jamaluddin was found guilty of breaching Article 10.1 of the Umno membership ethics but was only given a warning, Umno Displinary Board said today.

Bernama reported that he was, however, allowed to contest on the upcoming party polls.

It was the same provision of which Mohd Ali Rustam, a candidate for the deputy presidency was found guilty of and barred from contesting, leaving to two other candidates to slug it out for the coveted job.

With his disqualification, it sure looks like Muhyuddin Yassin, perceived to be only money politics-free and favorite candidate, will have a field day at the polls and could possibly win the seat with a landslide.

It was interesting decision by the board that two members were found to have violated the same article vis-a-vis membership provision but only one was severely punished while the other got away with a slap on the wrist!

It was equally interesting to find out the degree of misconduct of these higher up positions' candidates that had led to two types of punishment -- a mild one as opposed to that of a severe.

The same situation existed during the last party elections in which one candidate for an Umno Youth division was suspended while his contender, also found guilty of the same misconduct was given a warning which tantamount to again, another slap on the wrist, or in the words of former party supremo Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, "he got away scott free".

Perhaps leniency was accorded to him for his extra-party position since he was then holding an important position in a senior minister's office at a certain floor of the main complex of the government's administrative complex in Putrajaya while his contender was a son of a retired senior government official.

For Khairy, it was his baptism of fire since this was his real fight at the top and he fumbled big time...

Whether or not his punishment commensurated with the violation of party ethics the words "didapati bersalah mengikut perkara yang sama tetapi beliau hanya diberi amaran" as was spelt out by chairman of the board Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen were enough to set the tone for voting among the Umno Youth delegates.

They should already knew by now whom to vote for. That they should value their one vote to set the future direction of the movement was tantamount to either endorsing the board's decision or otherwise.

As for Khairy, he should have already comprehend the situation and proceed to do the right thing.

He will be remembered as being an honorable candidate if he decides to withdraw from contesting, as soon as possible.

This is simply because his reputation and standing in the party have been tainted and tarnished with the words "didapati bersalah" and he should exit the polls if ever he has any dignity to protect at the moment.

Khairy should withdraw from contesting, period.

KETUA PENGARAH BARU RTM...

Tahniah Sdra Ibrahim Yahaya!

Anda kini Ketua Pengarah Penyiaran Malaysia.

Ini adalah amanah besar dan jawatan penting, setaraf dengan Ketua Pengarah Perbadanan Penyiaran British atau British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) dan Pengarah Urusan Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Berita Bernama di bawah mengesahkan apa yang sudah kedengaran sejak sebulan dua yang lepas.

Sebenarnya saya sudahpun mengucapkan tahniah kepada Ibrahim ketika menjejak kaki ke Wisma TV (selepas 5 tahun tidak ke sana) kerana dijemput sebagai tetamu Blog@1 di RTM pertengahan bulan lepas.

Namun beliau menjawab “heesh..belum tau lagi Bro, surat tak dapat lagi”.

Beliau menjawab secara berbisik kerana saya pun berbisik ke telinganya mengenai apa yang saya dengar. Saya menambah "takpa la, aku congratulate hang in advance".

Mungkin Ibrahim akan dapat membawa perubahan radikal dan drastik untuk mengegarkan dan mengerakkan semula minda-minda kreatif di Jabatan Penyiaran Malaysia atau lebih dikenali sebagai Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) yang sudah lama “berehat” untuk kembali cergas dan mengambil tempat mereka yang sewajarnya dalam industri penyiaran negara.

Mungkin juga Ibrahim, seorang yang lebih muda daripada ketua-ketua pengarah RTM sebelum ini mempunyai idea-idea baru dan bernas yang mampu memartabatkan semula stesyen itu seperti mana ia berada di bawah teraju Tok Mat dan Khalil Yaakob sebagai Menteri Penerangan.

Mungkin juga RTM perlukan sentuhan-sentuhan individu-individu yang lebih muda dan berwibawa untuk menerajuinya.

Sebelum ini para penyandang jawatan itu dilantik mengikut susunan hireki kepimpinan dalaman yang hakiki, bermaksud apabila pencennya yang di atas maka di bawahpun naiklah, tanpa mengira kemampuan atau merit.

Kesemua mereka menyandang jawatan itu sudah berada dipenghujung kerjaya mereka dalam industri penyiaran dan rata-rata mereka berusia lebih daripada 53 tahun.

Perlantikan Ibrahim merupakan yang pertama daripada kalangan profesional dan "orang luar" dalam sejarah RTM yang sudah berusia lebih daripada 60 tahun.

Sekiranya TV3 membuat "experiment" dengan melantik Farid Ridzuan yang tidak mempunyai latarbelakang penyiaran sebagai ketua pegawai eksekutif stesyen itu dan percubaan itu berjaya maka tidak ada salahnya RTM mengambil pendekatan yang hampir sama.

Bezanya dalam kes RTM ialah kerana Ibrahim turut mempunyai pengalaman penyiaran kerana ramai mengenali beliau sebagai wartawan daripada penyiar. Dalam blognya Ibrahim menyebut dirinya sebagai "journalist forever".

Namun dalam sejarah Kementerian Penerangan Malaysia dalam konteks jabatan kerajaan perlantikan ini bukanlah yang pertama kerana sebelum ini penjawat Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Filem Negara dilantik daripada kalangan Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik untuk sepenggal dua-tahun sebelum jawatan itu "dikembalikan" kepada orang dalam, Raja Rozaimie Raja Dalnish Shah.

Mungkinkah akan ada lagi perubahan drastik selepas ini? Atau dalam Bahasa Inggeris "more better things to come?" Harapnya akan ada lagi lah...

Saya berharap teraju baru RTM akan berupaya mengembalikan era gemilang dan hebatnya sepertimana ia berada di bawah Tok Mat dan Khalil seketika dahulu. Saya berkesempatan berkhidmat selama 10 tahun di Angkasapuri bersama-sama dua individu hebat ini.

Mungkinkah Ahmad Shabery Cheek mampu mengulangi era gemilang itu?

Maka mungkin masanya sudah tiba untuk memikirkan semula nama singkatan Kementerian Penerangan Malaysia dikembalikan kepada KemPen dan tidak lagi menggunakan singkatan MOI ataupun Ministry Of Information.

Ini adalah kerana dalam banyak-banyak kementerian di negara kita ini, tidak ada satupun yang bertuah seperti Kementerian Penerangan yang mempunyai nama dan peranannya dalam satu perkataan yang sama, iaitu KemPen sebagai nama dan Kempen sebagai kerjanya.

Pendek kata, namanya KemPen, kerjanya pun Kempen. Satu kebetulan yang menakjubkan!

Dan apabila ditanya "apakah benda tu yang menyelubungi Angkasapuri tu", maka jawablah "Ooh, itu motif rebab, bukannya belangkas atau gambus ataupun topeng peran Mak Yong".

Motif yang sama digunakan pada menara Bangunan Parlimen Malaysia kerana arkiteknya orang yang sama dan kedua-dua mercu tanda Kuala Lumpur ini juga dibina pada tahun yang sama.


Berita Bernama hari ini...

Bekas pengarang kanan Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd Ibrahim Yahaya dilantik Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Penyiaran (RTM) mulai Isnin.

Ibrahim, 48, menggantikan Abdul Rahman Hamid yang kini bertugas sebagai Penasihat Penyiaran Digital kepada Menteri Penerangan sejak 2 Jan lepas, menurut kenyataan Kementerian Penerangan hari ini.

"Pelantikan beliau berdasarkan pengalaman meluas beliau dalam bidang media dan penyiaran," kenyataan itu menyebut. Sebelum ini, Ibrahim memegang jawatan sebagai Penasihat Media kepada Menteri Penerangan.

Beliau juga pernah berkhidmat sebagai pengurus ehwal semasa dan penyiaran TV3 dan ketua pengarang berita Berita Harian.

Pelantikan Ibrahim adalah sejajar dengan penstrukturan semula Jabatan Penyiaran yang diluluskan oleh Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam berkuatkuasa 1 Jan lepas.

p.s. Sorry Bro, i am still the only one among your friends who do not like to call you and other people by their nicknames. Its simply because I too have a nickname and I resent it very much, despise those calling me by my nickname and abhors this nickname business because its almost nauseating!. Salam Dari Mergong...

UMNO: ADA ORANG BESAQ NAK KENA?...

Berita Mutakhir...

Diberitakan bahawa ada seorang berkedudukan kanan dalam satu daripada 3 pergerakan Umno akan berhadapan dengan tindakan disiplin yang mungkin tidak akan melayakan beliau bertanding jawatan penting pada Perhimpunan Agung 2009 ini.

Tuduhannya: Politik Wang.

Sumber Umno memberitahu bahawa surat tunjuk sebab telah diserahkan kepada beliau dan calon ini dijangka akan dipanggil mengadap Lembaga Disiplin Umno dalam masa terdekat.

Berita sepenuhnya akan menyusul...

LOVE, OR THE LACK OF IT IN KUALA LUMPUR

Valley View By Zukri Valenteno

Kuala Lumpur… Senyuman Mu Di Pagi Ini
Sungguh Bererti Kerna Cinta Bersemi Lagi Setelah Kemarau Panjang
Di Lebuhraya, Di Papan tanda Tergambar Wajah Mu
Dengan Kalimat Cinta Untuk Kita Semoga Kekal Selamanya…

These are the opening lyrics of “Senyumlah Kuala Lumpur”, a famous ballad popularised by the equally famous band Alleycats who rocked the local music charts back in the 1980s.

It was a harmonious love song with the federal capital as its backdrop, about love that had finally blossomed in the heart of Kuala Lumpur after a long hiatus and how the city became the rendezvous point of lovers with a typical happy ending.

Although it is already more than 20 years old, this evergreen hit is still popular in the karaoke circuit today because of the easy and catchy lyrics. It is simple and beautifully composed and has everything to do with Alleycats, the most-loved band in the country!

In a way the song promotes love, caring and loving feeling as well as to smile and exchange smiles at all time. The message, however, hardly gets through these days because we can barely feel love in Kuala Lumpur.

Have you ever noticed these words “Sayangi Kuala Lumpur” on all billboards erected in Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s jurisdiction?

But the city folk’s demonstration and manifestation of love are anything but that.

For instance, KL-ites litter at ease as if there is no tomorrow. They still throw rubbish out of moving vehicles. They spit everywhere without any compunction and still wait impatiently in the yellow box and they have no mercy for senior citizens and children who are about to cross the road.

If that’s not enough, some KL folk still stick bills (especially advertisements on money lenders) at every available public property. In short, they show no love at all.

Suffice to say there is almost no love, or rather the lack of it in Kuala Lumpur.

How to bring back love to this once lovely metropolitan city, the city I grew up in; where the younger generation show respect and love to our elders regardless of our religion and race, colour and creed. The city is supposed to make us feel good and where everyone smiles at each other and exchange greetings at ease?

This is where we live and “cari makan” and I suppose we do not litter in our home, yes?

And I suppose too that we should not be spitting anywhere as we like since we are not uncouth?

Is it all right to drive at breakneck speed without any regard to the other road users or is it okay to rempit at any given road?

Do we not love our beautiful environment in our city that we leave behind tonnes of rubbish after enjoying ourselves at a carnival?

Or we do not love our public toilets anymore after using them to ease ourselves for a trifle fee of 30 sen or 50 sen?

What about our love towards public properties such as the telephones which can be very helpful to us during an emergency like when our handphone batteries are out and when we lose our belongings to snatch thieves and robbers?

In short, have we forgotten what love is? Or how to show love?

I would say nothing is more apt then Black Eyed Peas’ “Where Is The Love?”

Zukri Valenteno is a long-time Kuala Lumpur resident who yearns the day when city folks readily say “Terima Kasih” at every opportunity or even “Selamat Pagi” or “Have A Nice Day” and “Boleh Saya Tolong Encik?” to help foster and share love and the loving feeling. He can be reached at utarawan@streamyx.com.

This article appeared in TheStar Metro today, Tuesday March 10, 2009

WITHER UMNO'S PSYWAR?...

The aftermath of the Perak Parade and Kedah’s Bukit Selambau unraveled one prominent issue in as far as Umno is concerned, or Barisan Nasional for that matter – their lack of psywar expertise.

It seemed to me that Umno has been on the defensive since Day 1 against the constant onslaught by its opposition – Anwar Ibrahim’s brand of Blame Everything Umno rhetoric.

And while the roughnecks in Perak were bent on dissipating any good perception of Umno in the state and extra-state, Umno’s psywar i.e. its counter-attack was hardly felt on the ground, neither the airwaves nor the cyberspace if ever there was one.

Was there any such effort? I doubt it as there was no semblance of such or perhaps there was none although Umno is holding the fort in the state capital. It sure is too late if Umno plans to save the in-your-face battle for both by-elections, already dubbed as bye-election.

Work should have been done in the earnest, as soon as the new state government was formed. Where are Umno psyoperatives? Wither (newly-appointed) Perak’s State Information Chief’s fightback?

This reminds me of Mark Twain’s Truth Puts Its Boots on While Lies Travel Halfway around the World famous quote when assessing the situation.

This is also the time Umno misses the likes of Tok Mat (Mohamed Rahmat) the most for he was the best political psywar operative Umno ever had who could easily take on the “new school” politics with his old school tactics.

He is (still) the best in Umno and if there is anyone to rival him that Umno man should be Khalil Yaakob who did Sabah what Tok Mat done onto Parti Melayu Semangat 46.

And looking beyond Perak to Bukit Selambau, Umno in Kedah could not offer any resistance when again the PKR-led opposition was apt and comfortable spewing “he quit because of constant harassment by BN” political speak.

Did he resign both positions because of Barisan Nasional or due to his “personal problem”? I think the personal problem was even more compelling.

Did Kedah Umno capitalize on this? Not that I knew off.

Make no mistake by looking at what seemed to be sporadic mortar attacks by the opposition for they are not erratic, they are well-organised and disguised as chaos, as in The Chaos Theory.

It is not chaos and it is not random.

DAULAT TUANKU!...

THERE WASN’T A PLAN, WAS IT?...

Middle of last year three politicians met at a coffee house in a city on the fringe of Princejaya to casually discuss about an idea to return one of the four opposition-controlled states to The Empire, specifically Amno.

Over a few cappuchinos and expensive cigars the gentlemen agreed on a political navigation to pursue an all-out Silent Night war to win back at least one of the states on a one-state-at-a-time basis.

At a subsequent meeting, coincidentally at an upmarket resort in Pangcore they hatched a plan with well-crafted strategies to takeover the Payrak House of Representatives via the available constitutional means.

The consecutive defeats of the empire at Cherok Tok Kun and Kola Tranganu by-elections notwithstanding, the plan was by then already a full-blown but was still on the need-to-know basis with only a handful of people in the know.

Some are obviously oblivious to it.

A few meetings followed in Kola Lampour and elsewhere to fine tune the Pangcore Project which took into serious consideration all the political development in the country, the goings-on in Serawaq included.

Pangcore was the chosen name for it was significant due to historical reason, being the namesakes of the first treaty that allowed inroads to some Mat Sallehs into Payrak and the second so-called agreement between a pack of wolves and a canine, resulting in the canine being a pathetic servant to the wolves.

The third reason was quite obvious, individually.

But the bigger picture that was constantly looked at was the upcoming Amno party elections in the first quarter of 2009, many a times curiously.

It was not a wonder that less number of Payrak leaders were in their typical element during the events leading to the realization of the objective since many were uninformed that there was a plan but played the usual role of politicians making their political statements vis-à-vis the ensuing political drama in Eipoh.

There was a plan, but they were not aware of it.

In what was now academic, the takeover plan was among others, triggered by the generous award of state land to a certain group of people to the disdain of Melayu who saw this as an encroachment of their future, the growing enmity against the real power behind the Payrak Chief Minister, the constant in-fighting among the ranks in the unity state government and increasing dismay of the palace towards the state administration.

But the real reason was the razor-thin majority that favored the unity government.

That being the reason, the plotters underscored the vitality of the in-fighting which was quite apparent to outside the ranks as the primary cause for potential recalcitrant.

A tilt of the scale will likely change the political equation, it was expected.

However, what was lacking in the plan was the participation of a former chief minister who was seen as been unwilling to take on the difficult challenge. He was also described as a spent force, if ever he was one in the first palace.

A brainchild of a member of parliament who was earmarked to be the next Chief Minister, the plan was however, pacing slowly until a new state chairman of The Empire was named and was only activated full-swing when one of the serving state assemblymen had eventually agreed to be the Trojan Horse, which was one of the strategies adopted.

Other strategies considered and applied were Silent Night and Shock and Awe.

The plan had also anticipated the resistance of the opposition, even a possible fight back but what was not factored was the open defiance of the unity government’s mentri besar against the Payrak Royal Court, something which was not probable given that he is a Melayu and one who represents a Melayu-majority opposition party.

Another unfactored element was the speed of its execution for the complete realization of the plan came sooner than expected.

However, as all ends well, the plan comes to a conclusion today with the swearing-in of the new Payrak Chief Minister.

But then again, this story is just too good to be true…isn't it?

DR ZAMBRY IS PERAK MENTRI BESAR...

KUALA KANGSAR. Barisan Nasional officially took over the Perak State Government today with Pangkor State Assemblyman Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir sworn in as the new Mentri Besar.

The swearing-in ceremony took place before the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah at the Istana Iskandariah in Bukit Chandan here.


p.s. its Perak and not Payrak and Pangkor, not Pangcore...

NAJIB'S TRIUMPH...

This coup in Ipoh, leading to the Perak Porak Peranda, borrowing from Rocky's Bru posting, should be dedicated to Najib Tun Razak and nobody else.

Results to date...

(1) New State Government in Perak, no more ngangaing...
(2) New Mentri Besar, preferably a former PTD
(3) No more Tajol Son of Former MB...

Hail The Chief...and somebody said Hail Columbia too...